Delta Airlines have said they will cut back on the rights of passengers to bring comfort animals aboard. The new, proposed rules say that, in effect, only dogs and cats may be brought on board, and passengers will have to give notice 48 hours in advance, if they wish to bring a comfort animal on a flight.

Delta representatives are saying that comfort animals wander the cabin and urinate or defecate in inappropriate spaces in the cabin. Once, a comfort animal bit a fellow passenger.

Animal Rights Channel supports the rights of dogs to serve as therapy and service animals because dogs often seek out and enjoy work, just as humans do. We believe that helping others less fortunate gives meaning to life for both humans and animals. Similarly, we believe that most cats have a strong drive to snuggle with humans, a situation that provides mutual comfort and emotional support to both human and cat. Therefore, many cats are predisposed to be excellent comfort animals as well, and they are unlikely to regard this as work.

It is, however, questionable whether ducks, snakes, and other smaller brained animals should be subjected to air travel. The stress of such travel could be damaging to the animal, and small comfort to the human.

In complaining about service animals, Delta representatives have said nothing about whether they supply a place for service animals to urinate and defecate. Flights are often delayed, as we all know, and even well-trained animals can only hold on to their body waste for so long. AnimalRightsChannel.com has put in a request for information from Delta’s communications department to answer this question.